*From Olympia to LA–Dan’s Trip
| Location | Departure | Arrival | Fare | Comments |
| Olympia
800 562-9730 Grays Harbor |
10:00 am Olympia
Transit Center Bus # 40 |
Aberdeen
11:45 am |
$ 2.00 | Left Monday. September 8th
We could have boarded this bus on the Westside at the Shell station on Harrison. GHT is on the bus sign. Goes to McCleary, Elma, and Montesano on the back road. |
| Aberdeen
Pacific Transit 360 875-9418 360 642-9418 |
1:00 pm. Bus to Raymond. # 14 | Raymond at 1:50 pm | $ .50 | Aberdeen Transit Center has covered seating and restrooms. Pacific bus departs from the east side of the Center.
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| Raymond | 1:55 pm from Raymond Transit Center bus stop | South Bend at 2:15 pm | $ .35 | You get off across the street from the Raymond Visitors Center (closed). There is a nice park here to wait for the next bus or go to South Bend and wait for 90 minutes. |
| South Bend | 3:55 pm from the bus stop across from Oyster factory facing the “wrong” way. | You switch bus at a grocery store in Naselle. No additional fare.
You arrive at Astoria Transit Center at 5:30 pm. |
$ .50 | We waited at the South Bend Oyster Bar with beer and oysters. There is a history museum across the street.
Monday night in Astoria. 443 14th Hideaway Inn (503) 325-6989 about 5 blocks from the Transit Center. Rm. 112. $44.00 & no tax. Dinner at Cannery on the river. Breakfast at Steve and Andrew’s (Greek) on Tuesday morning. Opens at 7:00 am.
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| Astoria
The Bus 800 776-6406 |
8:00 am at Sunset Empire
Transit Center Rte 101 |
Seaside at 8:50 am. | $ 5.00 | I bought a “day pass” at the Transit Center for $5.00 that will take me to Manzanita. You can also get an Amtrak bus in Astoria to take you to Portland train station.
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| Seaside
The Bus 800 776-6406 |
9:03 am I took
Rte 20 across the street from McDonalds. |
Went through Cannon Beach and on to
Manzanita 10:45 am |
The stop in Seaside is called “Seaside Cinema” but the bus driver told me to get off at McDonalds, cross the street to the bus stop and get the Rte 20 headed south on 101. You can use the McDonalds for your restroom stop. | |
| Manzanita
Tillamook Bus (503) 815-8283 |
11:15 am | Tillamook
12:08 pm |
$ 3.00 | The Manzanita bus stop is across from the Fire station 5th and Lanida and right next to the Coffee Shop. There is a public restroom across the street. |
| Tillamook
Tillamook Bus Center next to City Hall and Museum (503) 815-8283 |
1:00 pm
Take Route 4 to Neskowin |
Neskowin
2:08 pm |
The Tillamook transit system just extended its service to Neskowin and hopes to go farther south next year. There is a great book store just across the street from the Transit Center. Also the Blue Moon café for lunch or the Pioneer Museum. | |
| Lincoln Cab
(541) 996-8294 Gary the Owner No Transit bus south of Neskowin |
Neskowin | Lincoln City | $30.00 | Gary from Happy Cab was waiting for me at Neskowin and took me the 15 miles to Lincoln city Bi-Mart Shopping Center. The Bus comes to Bi-Mart’s front door. |
| Lincoln City
Lincoln Transit (541) 265-4900 |
BiMart H.101
4:27 pm |
Newport City Hall | $ 3.00 | I had time so I crossed the shopping center to McMenains and had halibut and chips and a couple local brews. |
| Newport
Lincoln Transit |
City Hall
5:47 pm |
Yachats
6:40 pm |
$ 3.00 | Tuesday Night at Yahats Inn(541)547-3456 which is about ½ walk south across the bridge. Old, but fine. Swimming pool, beautiful beach walk. Dinner and Breakfast at The Drift Inn in town. Jazz band. |
| Yachats – No bus south of here to Florence | Yachats | Florence | $30.00 | Alvin at Land Yachts will take you to Florence for $65. (541) 547-5352 but I got a ride to Florence 25 miles to the south with a worker at the Inn. Beautiful road along the coast into Florence.
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| LOCATION | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL | FARE | COMMENT |
| Florence
Porter Stage Lines (541) 269-7183 |
Sportsman
249 Hwy/17th 11:30 am |
North Bend | $15.00 | You are supposed to call 24 hours in advance to Porter Stages since the bus comes from Eugene and might not stop, said Bud. I was lucky. Got the 11:30. |
| North Bend
Curry Public Transit 800 921-2871 |
Safeway/Pony Village
1611 Virginia 2:45 pm |
Port Orford. | $ 6.00 | The driver dropped me off on 101 and I walked to Virginia Avenue and then about six blocks west to the Pony Village Mall. The bus stop is on the east side of the Safeway store. Called Curry and they said the 2:45 pm bus would get me to Smith River. No service to Smith river on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Take the 2:45 pm or get stuck in Brookings.
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| Port Orford at
Ray’s Grocery Curry Public 800 921-7183 |
Port Orford | Smith River
at 6:30 pm |
$ 6.00 | We waited outside Ray’s in Port Orford for our connection. We arrived late and the connection was late, but it showed up. Beautiful new library across the street. |
| Smith River
Del Norte Public Transit Red Coast Transit (707)464-6400 |
Lucky Seven Casino | Crescent City | $ 1.00 | The bus was waiting at the Casino even though we were 30 minutes late. Took us past Pelican Bay prison into the city. Stopped across from the Front Street Inn. |
| Crescent City
Red Coast Transit. |
Crescent City at 7:26 am | Arcata Greyhound Station at 9:30 am. | $20.00 | Stayed Wednesday night at the Front Street Inn, an overpriced dump, but across from the bus stop. Nothing worth eating in this town. Ernie the bus driver played the Ventures all the way into Arcata on Thursday morning. |
| Arcata
Senior Discount 800-231-222 |
Transit Center
Greyhound 925 E. Street 9:50 am #1483 |
Willits
12:50 pm |
$39.25 | Bethany called in advance, but the ticket taker said he needed at least an hour advance notice. I still got on the Hound with Hound like travelers. The Greyhound stops at the south end of Willits. Walk back to the center. |
| Willits (MTA)
800 696-4682 On Main St At Bus shelter |
Howard Hosp.
Hwy 101 1 Madrone St South of H.20 8:45 AM #65 |
Santa Rosa
10:45 am |
$17.00 | Thursday night I stayed in Willits at the Super 8 motel directly across from my bus stop to Santa Rosa. The 8:45 am is the only MTA bus to Santa Rosa. It stops in Ukiah for 30 minutes. |
| Santa Rosa
Golden Gate Transit (707) 541-2000 |
Transit Mall
2nd & B streets #80 |
About Two Hours or so. | $ 8.80 | There is an incredible bookstore here in Santa Rosa, the Treehorn, on 4th street. Worth a visit. The bus takes you into S.F. via Van Ness and onto Mission at 16th where you can get the Bart.
Friday –Tuesday I stayed in SF |
| San Francisco | San Francisco
Bart Station |
San Jose | $ 3.50
$ 5.75 |
I took the BART to the end of the Millbrae line and got the CalTran at 11:30 am to Diridon Station. Buy ticket in advance at machine ($5.75).
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| San Jose
Monterrey Transit (MST) 888-678-2871 |
San Jose
Rte 55 1:35 pm Diridon Station . |
Salinas – Transfer at
Prunedale #29 3:02 pm. Arrive at Salinas at 3:58pm |
$ 9.00 | Buy Superpass for $9.00 at San Jose. I took the MST Monterey Express and got off at the transfer station at Prunedale. Got the #29 to Salinas Transit Center.
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| Salinas | 4:45 pm from Salinas on the Express bus | Arrive at King City at 6:00 pm | There was time for lunch here in Salinas and then back to the station. I stayed Tuesday night at the Fireside Inn for $46 dollars in King City.. Go to El Lugarcito for food. Nice Public library. | |
| Greyhound
800 231-2222 Garica Mini Market 316 S. 1st St. (831) 386-0322 |
King City
11:35 am. Buy your ticket at the Mini Mart. |
Paso Robles | $16.60 | The Hound was headed for Los Angeles with lots of sleepy riders. I took it for 55 miles and got off at the Paso Robles Transit center which was also the Train Station for the Coastal express. Information center, redone mini-mall with restaurants, etc.
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| SLORTA
(805) 781-4472 |
Paso Robles
6:20 am to 6:20 pm #9 |
San Luis Obispo about an hour later. Get transfer | $ 2.00
$ 75 |
San Luis Obispo is home to CalPoly university. There are lots of young student types roaming around eating ice cream. Had lunch downtown at the Palazzo Giuseppe Italian Restaurant. If nothing else, have the Teramisu! Took the 4:33 pm bus to Santa Maria. |
| SLORTA | San Luis Obispo #10 | Santa Maria
I should have taken #1A down Broadway to the airport. |
Santa Maria seems to be a mall city on both sides of Hwy 101. I didn’t know where to get off. I waited for the last stop and started walking south on Broadway headed for the airport, but it was getting late so I took a bus to get closer and walked to the Ramada for Wednesday night. | |
| Santa Maria
Clean Air Express (805) 692-1902 |
Airport Ramada Inn
3455 SkywayD 805 928-8000 at 5:50 am |
Santa Barbara
7:15 am |
$ 5.00 | I stayed at the Ramada and had a nice dinner looking out at the airport runway. Up at 5:00 am for the commuter bus. A rider gave me one of his passes so I got on for $5.00 rather than $9.00. |
| Santa Barbara
Vista Bus 800 438-1112 |
Chapala & Figueroa
6:00 am on the Coastal Exp. |
Ventura. I got the 7:40 am bus to Ventura and arrived at 8:45 am. | $ 2.00 | Chapala and Figueroa in Santa Barbara which is a block long bus station, transit center right down town. One hour or so to Ventura, transfer to Vista bus hwy 101. |
| Ventura
800 438-1112 |
Ventura Transit Center. I got the 9:05 am. | Thousand Oaks
Vista arrived at 10:15 am |
$ 1.00 | I got off before the transit center and waited at Rancho Road and 100O Oaks Blvd for the LA Metro Bus 161. |
| Thousand Oaks
(805) 375-5473 |
Bus stop at Rancho Road. Got on at 11:00 | Metro Bus 161
To Warner Center. 12:10. |
$ 1.25 | The Metro bus 161 was a bus that made numerous stop for more than an hour, but did get to Warner Center. At the Warner Center I got on the Orange Line. |
| Los Angeles
On Thursday September 18th |
Got the Orange Line from Warner Center to (NOHO) | Buy a ticket at the machine. This bus has its own “Bus Way | $ 1.25 | Rachel picked me up at NOHO, but I could have got a Red Line Metro subway here and gone into Hollywood or Union Station. |
Thanks to Dan Leahy of Olympia for sharing his west coast slow-travel adventure!